This invention relates generally to blowers for conveying material and, in particular, to such blowers used on leaf loading machines.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,504 granted Sept. 20, 1988 to R. M. VanGinhoven et al discloses a machine for loading leaves which includes a blower for discharging leaves through a spout. This blower is comprised of a plurality of arms extending radially from a shaft for rotation within a cylindrical housing formed of a front wall, a rear wall and an arcuate side wall extending between the front and rear walls. The arms carry blades or paddles disposed in close proximity to the inner surfaces of the housing walls. Leaves picked up from the ground by the machine are delivered to the blower by an auger via an opening in the housing front wall. The blades sweep the leaves around the inside of the housing and then out the spout which extends upwardly from the housing.
One problem encountered when operating the machine of the VanGinhoven et al patent is that foreign objects such as rocks and bottles are picked up with leaves and then conveyed into the blower. These foreign objects are thrown against the inside of the blower housing by the blades thereby causing damage usually in the form of permanent deformation to the housing. This damage typically occurs on the arcuate side wall of the housing immediately downstream from the spout and adjacent a part of the blower commonly referred to as the cut off knife.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,314,596 granted Apr. 18, 1967 to J. L. Burinsky et al and 4,595,318 granted June 17, 1986 to K. P. Viesselmann disclose blowers designed to convey forage material into silos. The blower in the Buriusky et al patent includes a cut off knife which is Z-shaped to prevent material from wedging in a corner of the blower housing adjacent the spout. The blower in the Viesselmann patent includes a replaceable wear liner on the inside of the housing. However, neither the Z-shaped knife of the Burinsky et al blower nor the wear liner of the Viesselmann blower overcome the above-mentioned problem encountered when operating the leaf loading machine of the VanGinhoven et al patent.